When is Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery Indicated?
When the number, location, and extent of coronary artery stenosis injuries (occlusions) present a significant risk of heart attack for the patient, surgery is the preferred method of treatment for CAD. Surgery may also be indicated during or immediately after a heart attack to attempt to salvage damaged heart muscle. The principal methods of surgery for treatment of CAD involve bypassing blockages in coronary arteries with a blood vessel taken from another part of the patient’s body. The standard procedure is called Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) surgery, or simply coronary artery bypass surgery. Today CABG surgery is one of the most common surgical procedures. Since the first coronary artery bypass operation was done in the 1960’s, many improvements in techniques have been developed.